The marauding process of development that is gradually shrinking the mangrove marshland at Sewri poses a threat to one of the few flamingo habitats in the world. The fear of never seeing these winged visitors again drove many Mumbaikars to the Flamingo Festival organised by the Bombay Natural History Society on Saturday.
“I heard they might not come here again because of all the development. I want to see them before they are gone,” said Saini Krishnamurthy, a working professional, a first-time visitor to the annual festival. The horizon at the Sewri creek is already defined by oil refineries and industrial units. Two under-construction towers seen from the pier are an example of the construction activity putting a stress on the mudflats. The Mumbai Trans Harbor Link project is touted as a major threat to the habitat of the migratory birds.
“Look at the background; there are just chimneys and smoke. This festival is a good initiative to sensitise people to the environment and the flamingo habitat. I might participate in raising awareness of saving the flamingos,” said Nikita Dawda, another visitor.
The BNHS conducts regular ‘Flamingo Watch’ events during the flamingo season from mid-November to May-end. Their annual flamingo festival is a popular event which provides an opportunity to the people ‘to closely observe and enjoy dozens of species of wetland birds, with over 15,000 flamingos as the main attraction’.
Even in the intense heat, children and old people hovered around the pier, peering into the binoculars, shooting with their personal cameras or lending their ears to the bird experts. The stalls at the entrance had charts with information on flamingos, a quiz corner, and various educational activities.
“I have come to this festival for the first time. I like to see new birds. At first I thought the flamingos are small birds, but when I looked into the binoculars I saw their long legs. It was a surprise,” said Jhanak Ramani (12), a class seven student, who had come with his family and friends.
On her way out, Ishani Chalke (12) rattled off about the two types of flamingos and other nuggets of information she planned to use in her school work. “We always see these birds in the books or on television. This is the first time I am seeing them for real,” said Bhavani Patel, a homemaker.
The free bus service from Sewri railway station ferried everyone to the mudflats and was a big convenience. Despite the enthusiasm, there was a note of alarm among nature lovers. “I usually observe flamingos from the Airoli bridge (Airoli is another feeding ground of flamingos), but this year I came to Sewri. We derive happiness from watching these birds and we are destroying what makes us happy. How do we understand development?” asked Rajiv Dudhalkar, an NGO worker.
